


Happy Birthday Baby, Oh I Love You So

by spellmanmanor



Series: A Birthday Proposal and a Witchy Wedding [1]
Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Birthday, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Marriage Proposal, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:40:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28367052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spellmanmanor/pseuds/spellmanmanor
Summary: It's Zelda's birthday and Marie is determined to make it perfect by showering her with love and a few surprisesMy response to the wlw winter challenge prompt: new beginnings.
Relationships: Faustus Blackwood/Zelda Spellman (past), Marie LaFleur (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina)/Zelda Spellman, Marie LaFleur/Zelda Spellman
Series: A Birthday Proposal and a Witchy Wedding [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2077467
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35
Collections: wlw Winter 2020





	Happy Birthday Baby, Oh I Love You So

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a merge of two fics i had in my plans that I thought could possibly work together. I was originally going to write a completely separate fic for the last prompt of wlw winter but i've been super busy recently so hopefully this is okay! There will be a part 2 of this fic were you will get to see Zarie's wedding but i'm not sure when that will be finished because i've only just started it but hopefully by the middle of January! 
> 
> The title of this fic is from the song sixteen candles! 
> 
> Translations are in the notes at the end of the story

The Spellman family had always had a strange way of celebrating birthdays. 

Edward and Hilda often had extravagant parties, the family home decked out in a number of different decorations. They both had large groups of friends to invite to these parties and the house would be filled to the brim with excited guests for the whole week leading up to their birthdays. The parties were always talked about months after they had ended and the Spellmans became rather notorious for being the best party hosts in the coven. 

This, however, was not the same for Zelda. She had never once in her life celebrated her birthday. That wasn’t her choice, of course. She would have loved to have large celebrations with loads of guests, if she had any friends to invite as guests that is. She would have loved for her parents to have spoilt her with attention and gifts on her special day like they did with her younger siblings, but that was never the case. 

As her father always said, ‘how sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have an ungrateful child.’ Zelda didn’t think she was ungrateful, all she was doing was asking to be able to celebrate her birthday, just for one year at least, but she was always met with a stern no and a slap around the face. 

She knew why her father never allowed her to celebrate her birthday, but it still hurt to believe it. The pain of knowing her father never really wanted her along with the sharp slaps she would receive across the face often resulted in her crying herself to sleep on her birthdays. Well, crying herself to sleep actually happened most days, but it hurt more then. 

She’d heard her mother and father arguing in the parlor when she was supposed to be sleeping many times throughout her childhood. She heard her father say how she was no child of his and could be the spawn of the false god for all he cared. She heard her mother begging him to be kinder towards her, but she was met with the same treatment as her daughter. She knew deep down her father was scared of her, scared of how powerful she was and how powerful she could become. She would often catch him staring in disgust at the witch’s mark on the side of her face, the proof that she was chosen by the Dark Lord to carry powers more strong than most witches had ever seen. It still hurt though, to know her father never loved or cared for her. 

As horrible as it may sound, Zelda was glad when he finally passed away. She was glad that she was finally free from his abuse, free from the scathing remarks that she had almost grown used to, free from the beatings that became worse and more often the older she became. She was free.

Of course that freedom didn’t last long. 

Meeting Faustus Blackwood at the Academy of Unseen Arts was a curse in disguise. Her brother had warned her not to fall for him, told her of his misogynistic views about witches, but she didn’t listen to him. She was too caught up in the feeling of finally having someone who seemed to care for her and love her that all his warnings meant nothing.

Oh how she wished she had listened to him all those years ago.

The Caligari spell was just as horrific as you would imagine. The feeling of having no control over yourself whatsoever was torture. Watching your life move around you and seeing things happen to you without your saying was the most painful thing Zelda Spellman had ever experienced. The fact it came from someone who she thought loved her broke Zelda’s heart into pieces. 

Even after the spell had been broken and Faustus had cowardly fled, Zelda was still in pain. Yes, she was the most powerful person in their coven, directrix to the Church of Lilith, the matriarch of the Spellman family, seemingly untouchable, she still felt as if she was trapped. Not by her father or her husband or even that horrific spell, but trapped by herself. The fear and sadness and pain was like a cage around her, stopping her from moving, from living, from breathing. 

Her panic attacks got worse once Hilda moved in with her fiance. She could usually keep them under control when she knew her sister was asleep in the bed next to her, but now she was alone in the dark, empty bedroom that she used to find so much comfort in, they would override all her senses and consume her for the night. Her pillow would be soaked with her tears by the morning and her eyes would be bloodshot, but she still got out of bed and went to the academy as if everything was fine. The last thing her orphaned students needed was their directrix to be a blubbering mess. 

Meeting Mambo Marie LaFleur was possibly the best thing to ever happen in Zelda’s 500 ish year life. She had never met someone so kind and sweet and gentle. Marie made her feel safe, loved and protected. Marie was a warm light in her otherwise cold and dark life. 

Zelda didn’t expect to wake up in the morning to her lover entering their bedroom balancing a tray with waffles and hot tea on it. She instantly knew what it was for. She knew Hilda had mentioned to the voodoo priestess that it was Zelda’s birthday and had filled her in on how Zelda had never celebrated it, and of course sweet Marie wanted to change that. 

“Good morning ma belle, did you sleep okay?” Marie asked as she placed the tray onto the bed and sat beside Zelda, running her fingers through her lover’s curled auburn hair. 

“I slept rather well, thank you.” Zelda replied, cuddling into Marie’s warm body as a slender arm wrapped around her.

“I’m glad fille cherie. I made you your favourite breakfast, and there’s some tea and orange juice on the tray too.” Marie placed the tray on both of their laps and passed Zelda a knife and fork. “Joyeux anniversaire mon amour.” She said, placing a kiss on Zelda’s forehead.

Zelda smiled and rested her head on Marie’s shoulder. “I love you Marie.” She quietly said, sighing happily at how perfect this moment was.

“I love you too Zels. Now are you going to eat your breakfast before it gets cold or am I going to have to feed you?” Marie smiled.

“No! I’m not a baby!” Zelda laughed, sitting up and cutting into a waffle. 

“Yes you are, you’re my baby.” Marie chuckled, kissing Zelda’s hair before tucking into her own breakfast. Zelda rolled her eyes at the comment, smiling to herself as she tucked into the delicious waffles Marie had prepared. 

Once they were finished eating, Zelda leant back against Marie and cuddled into her, breathing in the sweet smell of her lover’s perfume that she had become so used to. The feeling of Marie stroking her hair lulled her into a state of happy contentment. She wanted to savour this moment, a moment where she wasn’t worried about the state of her coven or any impending dooms involving the Dark Lord or her ex husband. A moment where she could just relax, cuddled up to her girlfriend and feel the love that radiated from her. 

“As much as I love sitting here with you in my arms ma cherie, I think we should get up and get dressed. I have some more plans for your birthday.” Marie said, slowly sitting up and bringing Zelda with her. Zelda pouted, making Marie laugh. “We can continue this tonight, okay?” She smiled, tapping Zelda’s nose and pressing a light kiss to her lips. 

Zelda went over to her wardrobe as Marie disappeared into the bathroom. She pulled the heavy wooden doors open to see a single present laying on the shelf inside, wrapped in shimmering green wrapping paper. “Marie?! What’s this?” Zelda called out as she heard her lover re-entering the room. 

“That’s your first present mon tresor. Go on, open it!” Marie smiled as she wrapped her arms around Zelda’s waist from behind. Zelda carefully unwrapped the present to see a beautiful blue velvet dress. It was soft to the touch and the colour was mesmerising. 

“Oh Marie, it’s beautiful.” Zelda sighed, turning around to kiss her lover. 

“I’m glad you like it, cherie. You can wear it today if you like, it will be very fitting for the things I have planned.” Marie told her, kissing her forehead as Zelda hugged her. 

Once Marie had left the room to go into the bathroom, Zelda changed into the dress and stood in front of the large ornate mirror that hung on the wall. It really was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. It clung to her body perfectly, accentuating her curves. The colour was the perfect match for her skin and hair, and she had to admit, it looked very good on her. 

She could feel her heart beating faster than usual at the reminder of being gifted clothes and ‘dressed up’. Sure, Faustus used to do this with her too whilst she was under the spell, but Marie was nothing like her husband. Marie did this because she cared for Zelda and wanted to treat her, not because she wanted to control her as Faustus had done. Marie had chosen clothes Zelda liked, ones that fitted her style and made her feel beautiful, Faustus had chosen ones that he liked, ones that fitted his ideal for her. The ideal that she was his pretty little doll that he could play with and use as he pleased. 

No, Marie was nothing like Faustus. 

The warm presence of her lover entering the room calmed Zelda’s racing heart. Marie gasped in delight when she saw her girlfriend. “Oh Zelda, darling, you are so beautiful.” She smiled as she wrapped Zelda in her arms and held her close, kissing her neatly curled hair. Zelda smiled and reached up to press a soft kiss to Marie’s lips, letting it linger before pulling away and resting her head against Marie’s shoulder. 

After a short cuddling session, they finally left the mortuary. “Where are we going?” Zelda asked as they walked down the path, hand in hand. 

“It’s a surprise mon amour. Can I have your other hand please?” Marie smiled as Zelda let her take her other hand as well. Marie lifted them to her lips and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles before bringing her closer and whispering, “lanuae magicae.” They teleported to a clearing in the Greendale woods. The ground was lined with candles and there were lanterns hanging from the tree branches above them. They followed the candles down a path until they got to another clearing. Zelda gasped when she saw what was waiting for them.

In the middle of the clearing was a wooden table big enough for two with a silk tablecloth laying on it and some plates that were covered up, presumably to keep whatever was under them warm and from spoiling. There was a bottle of whiskey on a smaller table next to it with two glasses. The trees surrounding the clearing were hung with fairy lights and lanterns and in the dusk sky above them were a cloud of fireflies, lighting the darkening sky. Marie led Zelda over to the table and pulled a chair out for her. Once she sat down, Marie bent over and swept some of Zelda’s hair to the side and pressed a kiss to her neck, making the redhead blush, before sitting opposite her. 

She poured them both a glass of whiskey before lifting the covers from the plates to reveal a delicious looking pasta. Zelda’s heart warmed at the effort Marie had made with her favourite drink and food. “Did you make this?” She asked, her eyes shining in the light from the lanterns.

“Oui, though I did have a bit of help from your sister.” Marie replied as she took a sip from her drink. Zelda laughed, imagining Hilda and Marie in the kitchen, trying to make everything perfect for her. It was a lovely image. 

They finished their meal before Marie snapped her fingers and the air filled with the soft tune of Zelda’s favourite jazz record. She stood from her seat and held her hand out to Zelda. “Danse avec moi, ma douce fille.” She smiled. Zelda smiled back and took her hand, letting her drag her from her feet and to a space behind the table. Marie wrapped her arms around Zelda’s waist as she wrapped her’s around her neck and began to gently sway them, keeping in time to the music. 

Zelda tensed slightly when images of Faustus forcing her to dance to the tune of that dreaded music box filled her head. She tried to ignore them and focus on Marie’s face, but they were slowly overwhelming her. Marie noticed and cupped Zelda’s cheek softly. “Hey, it’s okay, you’re safe. If you want to stop, we’ll stop.” She gently said as she stroked her cheek. Zelda shook her head.

“No, I want to keep dancing.” She said, pressing a quick kiss to Marie’s lips. That helped chase away those memories, and she relaxed into the dance. Marie smiled fondly at her strength.

“Good girl.” She whispered and took Zelda’s hand, twirling her around. Zelda laughed as she was wrapped back in Marie’s arms, held closer as the music finished. “I love you.” Marie said, kissing her.

“I love you too.” Zelda mumbled against her lips. They pulled away and Marie hugged her close, kissing her hair. They continued swaying even though the music had stopped, too caught up in the warm feeling of their love to care. Darkness had fallen around them and the bright full moon cast a beautiful silver light on them like their very own spotlight. Marie looked at Zelda fondly, amazed at how beautiful her girl was and how the moonlight made her sparkle and glow like an angel. Her heart grew full at just how much she loved the witch who she held in her arms.

They began to feel little spots of rainfall on them and looked up to see a dark cloud had grown in the sky. Typical Greendale, always ruining perfect moments with it’s terrible weather. Marie kept Zelda close as she teleported them back to their bedroom in the mortuary, shielding her from the rain until they were in the warm, dry comfort of the room. She left Zelda in the bedroom whilst she went to the bathroom.

Zelda turned to look at their bed and saw a small white envelope lying in the middle of it. Her name was written on it in swirly handwriting and the curiosity took over her, making her pick it up and open it.

Inside was a card that had a picture of herself and Marie on the front. It was her favourite photo of them, taken by Sabrina on the day they had all had a family picnic the summer before. She was sitting on a picnic blanket with Marie beside her, sharing a bottle of pink lemonade and a slice of lemon cheesecake. Zelda distinctly remembered Marie feeding her a spoonful when she had complained about how the sugary dessert would ruin her diet, and how she had told Zelda she was perfect and beautiful and didn’t need to diet. The memory made her blush. 

The family had left Marie and Zelda on the picnic blanket whilst they played a game of catch with a ball Ambrose had brought, and Zelda had almost forgotten the rest of her family were there, too caught up in the way Marie softly spoke to her and made her feel like she was the only person in the world. She remembered how she had leant over to capture Marie’s lips with her own and the way Marie gently held her as they kissed. She remembered the sound of Sabrina giggling and racing over to the couple once they pulled away, showing them the polaroid photo she had taken whilst they were kissing. Sabrina had said how cute they looked and gave it to Marie to keep, ignoring her aunt trying to scold her for taking a photo of her without her knowing. Zelda was glad she had now, because that photo made her feel so happy whenever she saw it. 

She opened the card to see a note inside, written in the same beautiful swirly writing as the envelope. Inside it read:

_ To my darling Zelda,  _

_ Happy Birthday!!! I’m so glad that I am able to spend this special day with you and make it as perfect as possible. When your sister told me of your past birthday experiences, my heart broke and I swore that I would make this day as great as I could. You deserve it ma cherie. _

_ I can not put into words how much I love and care about you. You are my person, the love of my life, my soulmate, and I want to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. I want to be the one to make you smile when you’re sad, the one to love you when you feel unloved, the one to hold you when you need to be held. I want to be the one to make sure you know how perfect and wonderful and loved you are. I love you, so much. _

_ So Zelda, my sweet, darling Zelda, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife, and spending the rest of our lives together?  _

Zelda’s heart skipped a beat when she read the last line. She saw a movement in front of her and lifted her gaze to see Marie in front of her, on one knee with a beautiful emerald ring in her hand. “What do you say Zels? Will you marry me?” She asked, smiling at her.

Tears filled Zelda’s eyes as she nodded and said, “Yes of course I will!” Marie stood and slipped the ring on her finger before Zelda threw her arms around her and pulled her into a passionate kiss, crying happy tears. “I love you, I love you so much.” She sobbed as they pulled away.

“I love you, more than I could possibly say.” Marie replied, tears streaming down her cheeks also. Zelda leant into Marie’s embrace and held her hand out so she could admire the ring. It was perfect, the stone matched her eyes and it sparkled when it caught the light. “Do you like it ma cherie?” Marie asked as she stroked her fingers through Zelda’s hair. 

“I love it, it’s so perfect. You’re perfect Marie, I love you.” Zelda could feel tears filling her eyes once more but she didn’t care. She was just so happy. She felt so safe and loved in Marie’s arms, with a ring on her finger signaling she was her’s. 

And as Marie pressed a soft kiss to her lips, Zelda realised she had found her person, her soulmate, the love of her life. This day was the beginning of something special, something beautiful and she couldn’t wait to see what the future would hold. 

**Author's Note:**

> as always, please let me know what you think in the comments xx
> 
> Translations are from google translate so they may not be accurate  
> ma belle - my beautiful  
> fille cherie - darling girl  
> joyeux anniversaire mon amour - happy birthday my love  
> ma cherie - my darling  
> mon tresor - my treasure  
> oui - yes  
> danse avec moi, ma douce fille - dance with me, my sweet girl


End file.
